Grilled Salad Ideas
Thank goodness for bagged salad mix! I know, all the packaging isn’t great, but those mixed greens are much more tasty than iceberg lettuce. I can remember plenty of salads with only iceberg lettuce. I am not sure salad can be more boring. In truth, the only way I like iceberg lettuce is when it is slathered with a massive amount of blue cheese dressing. You know, the kind of thing you get at a steak place, that you can’t really call salad because the lettuce is really just a vehicle for the rich and creamy blue cheese. Sure, they give you a quarter of a head of lettuce, but it is hardly salad. Once I had one and they threw in a cherry tomato and some rings of red onion. I just assumed those were a mistake the kitchen had made. I don’t see why they don’t call the dish Ladle Of Blue Cheese Dressing. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong iceberg lettuce (hey, my wife likes it and it is good wilted), but the base of a salad can be much more exciting.
The beauty of salads is that they can come in so many varieties. Mixed greens have been a big thing for awhile, but it is nice to have something even more different. It was not until much later that I realised that grilled vegetables make a great salad. More specifically, grilled leaves! A mix of grilled leaves from baby romaine, red and white endive, and maybe some broccoli rabe is a perfect alternative to the regular tossed salad. With just these 3 vegetables as a base anyone could come up with a bunch of great salad ideas – adding grilled carrots for sweetness, adding grilled celery for flavor and texture, adding grilled fennel for something different, adding grilled tomatoes for umami! It goes on and on. The grilled vegetables have so much character. With a simple lemon vinaigrette, they are just perfect. And a sprinkle of parmesan really brings it home. Here is a simple recipe for a grilled salad! It is great for summer or anytime of year.
- 4 white endives
- 4 baby romaine/gem lettuces
- 1/4 lb broccoli rabe
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- fresh parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- Clean the endive and baby romaine removing any outer leaves that are bruised.
- Trim the ends of the endive and lettuces just enough to remove the rough end, but not enough to separate all the leaves.
- Cut the endive and lettuces in half longways.
- Wash the broccoli rabe.
- Place the endive, lettuce, and broccoli rabe in a large bowl or plastic bag. Drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the oiled endive and lettuce cut side down on a hot grill/ Place the broccoli rabe on the grill going against the grain of the grill grate to reduce the chance of the broccoli rabe falling into the flames.
- When the vegetables are just starting to soften and get tender flip them and continue to cook until tender but with some crispness remaining. A little charring is fine, but they are not meant to be mushy.
- Remove the vegetables from the grill to a platter and let cool. When cool, cut the endive and lettuce halves into thirds or quarters. Cut the broccoli rabe into bite size pieces.
- Toss them all together in a large serving bowl.
- Cut the lemon in half and drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice being careful not to allow any seeds in the salad. Toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grate parmesan cheese over the vegetables to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or cold.
I hope you enjoy!
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